Curse

GhostRaptor · Nov 27, 2007, 04:24 AM // 04:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by arcanemacabre

BTW: How ya been, Alex?

Enjoying the sunshine

While I'm here, I'm reliably informed the original source article from Korea is of debatable accuracy. Consider it tabloid speculation. It's certainly way too soon for all the doom and gloom in this thread

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Quote:

They also now own Cryptic Studios, developers of CoH, CoV.

Wrong, in fact it's closer to the exact opposite. NCsoft bought the full rights to the City of ... franchise, which they previously shared with Cryptic. As a result, Cryptic now have absolutely zero ties with NCsoft.

//RogueNine · Nov 27, 2007, 06:12 AM // 06:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by -Sonata-

I'm not saying there shouldn't be concern sometimes. None of us like big changes when we're in a comfort zone. Hell, if you went through the Star Wars Galaxies crisis like I did, that's enough to shake your confidence for life.

I hear you

R.Shayne · Nov 27, 2007, 07:29 AM // 07:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by -Sonata-

Microsoft? They have no business being in there either. Xbox? Pfft. Noone will buy a gaming console from the creators of the Blue Screen of Death. They will never give Sony a battle for market domination.

Yes, companies branching out always means the end of the world.

Good example. Have you heard of a game called Mechwarrior / Battletech? Microsoft is the current publisher (owner) of these titles, created two crapping games and then went in a new business direction that is the Xbox. Mechwarrior for the PC is no more. Companies are about making money. If they have a new business direction they are going to support it. If they have enough money for two projects they are going to go for the highest profit.

NC Soft owns Guild Wars/Anet and what they do affects the game. If they no longer support the game they will close the studio (good example, FASA Studio just closed this year - they created the last Mechwarrior title).

And yes I did scream it's the end of Mechwarrior when Microsoft bought the publishing rights, being proven right is little joy in the end, because a great game has come and gone.

The only hope will be that Anet employees start a company and create something similar to Guild Wars and hope none of them signed a contract forbidding competition with the company. They will push this on employees saying it is to protect the intellectual property and so that the employee does not take what they learn from the company and go somewhere else. A good way to make a profit is to ensure there is no competition. The company can claim to have trained a former-employee on anything even without any evidence. The winner will be the one with the most money.

Tamuril elansar · Nov 27, 2007, 08:26 AM // 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by ensoriki

Tons of shit does better (runescape)

runescape only does good because of its free, you dont need to download something (xcep from java).

apart from that, its a HORIBLE game, and i felt so released when i started to play GW after 2 years of that crap.

twicky_kid · Nov 27, 2007, 08:47 AM // 08:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Strangelove

Considering the success of Guild Wars, I'd be amazed if they pulled a fallout on this.

Linage pays the bills GW doesn't.

Anet has not made a lot of money on GW then when you factor in the long term cost of keeping servers running with support while sales lower each year, its a downward spiral financially. If anyone thinks that free online play was a successful business model its dead wrong. I'd much rather pay a few dollars and have great customer support rather than "we have you money why should I care?"

GW is one of those games made to figure out what works and what doesn't.

World tournaments: cannot afford
Restructure of phrasing (skill over time spent aka no grind): a complete lie
Give free trials to other games: These are the ones we really want you to play
No monthly subscription: no customer support because we can't afford it

Fril Estelin · Nov 27, 2007, 09:29 AM // 09:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by twicky_kid

If anyone thinks that free online play was a successful business model its dead wrong.

Where are the facts to back this opinion of yours?

If Anet was able to get GW:EN out and can work on GW2, I bet they're successful ...

Sirius-NZ · Nov 27, 2007, 10:07 AM // 10:07

It varies depending on the developer/publisher, but a one-time fee does not necessarily exempt things from customer support - if that were the case companies like Microsoft and Adobe wouldn't bother either (I am aware that the former and probably the latter have paid support, but that's usually for corporations who need quite a bit more than the occasional simple problem fixed).

GW has world tournaments, for the record... they might not be on the scale of WC3 or Starcraft, but they are there. And, true to their word, grinding still does not make you any more effective at PvP.

CHunterX · Nov 27, 2007, 10:20 AM // 10:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tamuril elansar

runescape only does good because of its free, you dont need to download something (xcep from java).

apart from that, its a HORIBLE game, and i felt so released when i started to play GW after 2 years of that crap.

At least Runescape has an auction house...

Iuris · Nov 27, 2007, 11:09 AM // 11:09

Quote:

No monthly subscription: no customer support because we can't afford it

What exactly do you call customer support? I mean, any game has to offer enough support to get the game running, which is certainly provided in GW's case, but beyond that, it's not customer support.

GW has no ongoing content as part of the package, true - but that's not customer support. And Anet has gone beyond the package by offering free of charge content, too.

Big_Iron · Nov 27, 2007, 01:55 PM // 13:55

Even if NCSoft got out of the gaming biz, they'd sell off their franchises like GW and Lineage. I wouldn't sweat it.

twicky_kid · Nov 27, 2007, 03:32 PM // 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iuris

What exactly do you call customer support? I mean, any game has to offer enough support to get the game running, which is certainly provided in GW's case, but beyond that, it's not customer support.

GW has no ongoing content as part of the package, true - but that's not customer support. And Anet has gone beyond the package by offering free of charge content, too.

Customer support like a LIVE support line you can call. Frequent updates with a TEAM working on improving the game. The only content added beyond the box was sorrow's furnace and that was actually suppose to be apart of the upon release but the game was rushed to released so they added it later and gave us some spin story that they gave it to us for free.

Hell, GW can't even manage to make its own official forum. Updates are never listed on the site BEFORE or even briefly after the update has launched.

During season 2 (this is on their website in one of the articles) Anet complained because they needed 8 employees to stay the entire day to run the tournament. Are you f*cking kidding me? While those 8 employees had to check every skill on all teams which were tons of teams because it was open qualifiers during season 2. 8 employees was all Anet could muster for that day?

The way Anet has managed the game has been atrocious. It doesn't matter if NCSoft sells GW or Anet finds another publisher. As long as Anet is at the helm expect more of the same.

If you need anything beyond the reasons explained look at GW's net profit. Not gross profit that they love to make public. Gross profit does not reflect real numbers.

GhostRaptor · Nov 28, 2007, 02:21 AM // 02:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by twicky_kid

The only content added beyond the box was sorrow's furnace and that was actually suppose to be apart of the upon release but the game was rushed to released so they added it later and gave us some spin story that they gave it to us for free.

...

You are so far away from the truth its not funny.

Edit: Yep, definitely time to put away the doom'n'gloom forecasts:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/mmos/ncsoft...mes-326745.php

Nemo the Capitalist · Nov 28, 2007, 03:21 AM // 03:21

..*pretends to caRE*

wetsparks · Nov 28, 2007, 03:21 AM // 03:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by twicky_kid

Customer support like a LIVE support line you can call. Frequent updates with a TEAM working on improving the game. The only content added beyond the box was sorrow's furnace and that was actually suppose to be apart of the upon release but the game was rushed to released so they added it later and gave us some spin story that they gave it to us for free.

Hell, GW can't even manage to make its own official forum. Updates are never listed on the site BEFORE or even briefly after the update has launched.

During season 2 (this is on their website in one of the articles) Anet complained because they needed 8 employees to stay the entire day to run the tournament. Are you f*cking kidding me? While those 8 employees had to check every skill on all teams which were tons of teams because it was open qualifiers during season 2. 8 employees was all Anet could muster for that day?

The way Anet has managed the game has been atrocious. It doesn't matter if NCSoft sells GW or Anet finds another publisher. As long as Anet is at the helm expect more of the same.

If you need anything beyond the reasons explained look at GW's net profit. Not gross profit that they love to make public. Gross profit does not reflect real numbers.

I sure as hell hope it is more of the same. But, why should ANET have their own "official" forums? So they can spend money on something that fan sites will create anyways? Let them focus on something more important, like another game maybe? Instead of a website. And updates are never listed before an update? Why should they, the update isn't out yet, they might decide to change something in it. And it is definitely posted after words, I have been on when an update came out. When I logged out to download it, I went to the website to see what it was, and the listing was there.

You can't see me · Nov 28, 2007, 03:38 AM // 03:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tamuril elansar

runescape only does good because of its free, you dont need to download something (xcep from java).

apart from that, its a HORIBLE game, and i felt so released when i started to play GW after 2 years of that crap.

Wrong.

Free play only gets acess to 10% of the material and 5% of the map.
Membership is Five Dollars US. Per Month for full access.

fenix · Nov 28, 2007, 03:56 AM // 03:56

Quote:

I'm sure Sony would love to buy them out and start charging $15 a month to play GW hahahaha.

That would actually be a smart business plan, since making new 'chapters' every 6 months is a TERRIBLE idea. Monthly fee is the only way GW2 won't suck as well, because they won't have any way of making money.

Sirius-NZ · Nov 28, 2007, 04:04 AM // 04:04

Except there won't be a monthly fee.

I expect they'll rethink the chapter model - they seem to have indicated so themselves, speaking of concern at how bloated the game has become - but I couldn't say what the changes would be - if anything, I would expect new "chapters" to primarily add items and new story areas, rather than filling the game up with hundreds of skills, most of which never really get used. It'll be more than just that, though, since expansions/chapters need some reason to make PvPers interested in buying them. New classes perhaps? New races (actually, I'm very much expecting that)?

Str0b0 · Nov 28, 2007, 04:11 AM // 04:11

NC soft may shift away but I'm sure there are publishers out there willing to pick up the property. I'm not sure what Arena Net's books look like but if they are profitable even if NC soft decides to dump them in favor of their new direction another software publisher will likely sign them up. In essence this is a chicken Little scenario. The sky is falling and all that rubbish. Until Arena Net makes an announcement then there is nothing to worry about.

fenix · Nov 28, 2007, 04:27 AM // 04:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Str0b0

NC soft may shift away but I'm sure there are publishers out there willing to pick up the property. I'm not sure what Arena Net's books look like but if they are profitable even if NC soft decides to dump them in favor of their new direction another software publisher will likely sign them up. In essence this is a chicken Little scenario. The sky is falling and all that rubbish. Until Arena Net makes an announcement then there is nothing to worry about.

They aren't very profitable...they've made money, but not very much. If I remember correctly they suffered a loss not too long after Nightfall...